Macrium and Linux Disks cloning

Hi folks
just in case some people don't realize it but it's 100% possible to clone Linux formatted HDD's / SSD's with Macrium (from within Windows too --you don't need to use the stand alone program).

Ensure though when you attach the Linux drives / SSD's you ignore Windows request to format them or any messages about "incompatible file systems"

Simply select clone disks and carry on. The target SSD / HDD can be smaller than the source provided that the /home and / partitions (on Linux) are large enough on the destination drive.

If you know this already - then OK but I know some people on these Forums use Linux for playing with etc and might not know about easy ways of backing up Linux systems (VM's are easy - this is for physical HDD's/ SSD's)




The target disk should be bootable in nearly every case -- it'a always worked for me --just remember NOT to format the disks at windows prompt and ignore incompatible file system messages from Windows.

cheers
jimbo

Yes. I've been doing it all the time due to Mint not having anything comparable to MR. Mint is on own SSD.

JanL said:

I just tested Macrium Reflect with a standard usb-microsd-card - formatted with RaspberryPi linux-system (under windows 7).
And, after a cumbersome registration+installation proces, I got very very disappointed with Macrium.

Because Macrium could not even see the usb-connected microsd-card!

In comparison to EaseUS and other programs, that can see such a drive, this is embarrasing... And I must say, that as long as Macrium cannot even see such a drive, the arguments for using their software is hard to see.
(seems like Macrium is good for SSD/HDD's, but this is nothing special - a lot of other SW's also does SDD/HDD-cloninbg etc. very good ...).

Reason for testing Macrium: I have had trouble getting a clone of a "NOOBS Linux Pi system microsd-card" working on our RaspberryPi (the PI just stays in a boot-loop, after cloning the microsd card from within EaseUS and AOMEI).

Just to be clear, is that USB connected Micro SD card used as Rescue disk ?

JanL said:

Your question indicates, that you don't know the Raspberry-Pi? Am I wrong here?
Anyway, a normal disk/partition Backup/PartitionManager recognizes a usb-connected drive ... no matter if it is placed on a SSD, HDD og microsd-card (I have tested several these days ... just, Macrium cannot do this ... so in contrast to the commonloy used cloning-SW's, Macrium doesn't at all seem to support cloning miscosd cards).

And, I am talking a full system (that Macrium cannot see + the microsd-card the system is placed on!). And, by "system" I mean the ones like "Windows, Linus Ubuntu, etc. etc". Systems that we normally place on a SSD/HDD (a "boot disk")... only difference is that this is 1) a Linux "flavour like thing", that is made for 2) Raspberry-Pi, and placed on a 3) microsd card (the microsd card is the "boot disk", on a RaspberryPi).

You're right, I don't dabble in RaspberryPi and no, MR can't backup from USB sticks or microSD cards. It can make rescue disk and backup and restore to USB drives.

JanL said:

Thanks for your time and input. I will continue looking for a worthy candidate. And let Macrium do what he/she can do ;-)

I have Linux Mint on internal SSD and that can be backed up and restored but when I connect it thru USB it doesn't see it.

JanL said:

I understand.
Maybe Macrium is actually just being polite - in contrast to for instance EaseUS and AOMEI, that is seeing the USB-connected disk, but don't make a "true clone-copy" of the disk.
What makes these SW's annoying (easeus...) is that they claim to do this "sector by sector" ... which should make a 100% copy ... and then they still don't (and the proces takes a long time (1½ hour), on the best microsd's, with "just" 32GB - to no avail!)
(and they end up writing "succesfull" ... which normally means "succesfull", but not here!)

- - - Updated - - -

It is funny, though.
I have been making clones and backup's of HDD/SSDs since 2003 (starting with "Norton Ghost"), and this has been fine - and, a system has maybe only "collapsed / broken down" for me 2-3 times - and then my son starts up with the acclaimed "Raspberry-Pi" - and after 1 day and 1 crash, the microsd-system-disk fails! (shock!) ... and, then there aren't any working solutions (so it seems).
If anything, then the RaspberryPi should get attention ... but of course it isn't mainstream, and as commonly used as Windows/PC's - and there aren't much money/revenue in the RaspberryPi and the likes of it

I used AOMEI some years ago but switched to MR while I was still on W7. Had a free license Easus was giving away couple of years ago but that expires with next version, It was very slow anyway,